(ANS - Nazareth) – Yesterday, after the Sunday Angelus, the Pope addressed an appeal for peace and called on the world to pray for peace. His message was directed to all areas where fighting continues - with express mention of Iraq, the Middle East and Ukraine - and in a particular way to the Holy Land, plagued by an endless war.

Pope Francis said, "I urge you to persevere in prayer for the situations of tension and conflict that persist in different parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine. May the God of peace inspire in all a genuine desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is not overcome with violence. Violence is overcome with peace! Let us pray in silence, asking for peace; all together, in silence ... Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us!"

The call to prayer and action for all people of good will, especially for those who have positions of responsibility in the international community, comes while the bombing of the Gaza Strip continues and the number of victims is increasing day by day.  

The Salesians in the Holy Land report that in Nazareth today was proclaimed a day of solidarity with the people of Gaza.

There are many displaced people in Gaza and in the territory of the Gaza Strip - people who leave everything for fear of dying. Most of them have moved away from the major centres and have taken shelter in schools and institutions in the hope that there they will not be hit by missiles.

Published 21/07/2014